A Louisiana man was arrested on sex offender and firearm charges after claiming someone was shooting at him.
Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright confirmed the arrest of a Campti, Louisiana resident on Wednesday morning under sex offender and firearm-related charges. The man had reportedly exclaimed in a local Campti store that someone was firing at him, leading to his arrest.
On the morning of July 26, 2023, around 5:16 am, deputies from the NPSO Patrol Bureau were called to the All-N-One Convenience Store on the 3200 block of US-71 in Campti. This response was triggered by reports from the NATCOM 911 Center about a man who allegedly entered the shop, claiming that he was being shot at.
Officers talked with the purported victim, 35-year-old Altavious D. Elam, of Campti, Louisiana.
During their conversation with Elam, deputies noted that he seemed anxious and offered minimal evidence to validate his claim that someone was firing at him.
Officials also suggested that there were no reports of gunshots coming from the area.
While conversing with witnesses at the store, deputies discovered that Elam became extremely anxious upon realizing that law enforcement had been alerted to get involved.
It is alleged that he seemed to be hiding something on his person and then quickly went into a restroom and came back out.
During a routine inspection of local warrants, officers found out that Elam was being sought by the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office. The basis for this was his failure to register as a sex offender, a requirement due to his prior sex offense conviction.
Elam was apprehended peacefully. While conducting a routine search subsequent to his arrest, deputies found multiple .22 caliber cartridges, that had been fired, in his pocket.
Officers inspected the bathroom area, where they found a loaded GB .22 caliber revolver concealed behind the toilet.
The gun was recovered for evidence.
Altavious D. Elam, a 35-year-old resident of Campti, Louisiana, was brought in and placed in custody at the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center. He was charged with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Felony.
Cpl. J. Dranguet, Lt. M. Robertson, Deputy E. Fobb, and Deputy S. Dieter were the ones who responded to the call.
An arrest is an indication that probable cause exists to believe the subject was involved in the offense alleged. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.